There is a continuig search for materials having desirable fragrance properties. Such materials are sought either to replace costly natural materials or to provide new fragrances or perfume types which have not heretofore been available. Especially desirable qualities for substances having interesting fragrances are stability and persistence in a wide variety of perfumed articles and perfume compositions, ease of manufacture, and intensity of aroma.
Crushed leaf and green-leafy notes with tomato-like undertones are particularly desirable for many uses in conjunction with perfumes and perfumed compositions and articles, particularly for topnotes for "geranium" type perfumes, e.g. "Geranium Bourbon."
The prior art discloses little if any use of sulfur-containing compounds in perfumery, particularly because of the breakdown of such compounds to form low molecular weight, noxious organic sulfur-containing compounds. However, U.S. Pat. No. 2,213,804 issued on Sept. 3, 1940, states at page 3, line 2 and page 3 lines 6-10 that 1,3-dithiane having the structure: ##STR2## and 2,2-dimethyl-1,3-dithiane having the structure: ##STR3## are useful addition agents to lubricating oils and that such compounds may be "too odoriferous" for certain purposes. At page 3, column 1, lines 64-68, it is further stated: "In such cases the odor is covered by a suitable perfuming agent. Such details of practice will be apparent to anyone skilled in the art."
Thus, although not stated to be useful per se in perfumery, the use of such materials in conjunction with other perfume materials is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 2,213,803. However, there is no teaching in U.S. Pat. No. 2,213,804 that the compound used in practicing the instant invention, trithioacetone, has a crushed leaf note and a leafy-green note with tomato-like undertones and is useful in perfumery particularly as a topnote for geranium type perfumes.